Fresno police: Double murder erupted after dispute with rival

A personal dispute between a gang member and two slain brothers, also gang-affilated, was the cause of the double homicide Thursday in north Fresno, police say.

Domenek Greenberry, 19, a Fresno gang member originally from San Bernardino, faces murder charges in the shooting deaths of Willie Ford, 19, and his brother, Denzel Ford, 18, both of Fresno.

The Ford brothers are members of a different Fresno gang, police say. All three men also have a history of firearms arrests or convictions.

The shooting Thursday took place about 11:30 a.m. on San Pablo Avenue near Barstow Avenue. Police reported that Greenberry and the Ford brothers were acquaintances, and that the Fords went to an apartment to confront Greenberry. An argument escalated to gunfire.

Police arrived to find the brothers mortally wounded in front of the building. Both died at the scene. Lt. Joe Gomez said Greenberry confessed to the shootings and a search warrant served at an apartment he occupied uncovered two firearms, one believed to be the murder weapon.

Greenberry is being held in the Fresno County Jail on a bail of $1 million in each slaying. Before the arrest, he was facing court appearances for charges of carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle and domestic violence.

Willie Ford was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for being a member of a street gang. He was arrested in June 2014 after officers found that he was carrying a loaded .22-caliber handgun in a bag of Cheetos. That case was combined with another case from January 2014, when police arrested Willie Ford after they said he tossed a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun from a car during a police pursuit.

Denzel Ford was arrested at Illinois Avenue and First Street in southeast Fresno on April 19 on charges of carrying a loaded handgun. In a plea agreement Monday, he pleaded no contest to the felony charge and was told to stay out of trouble and return in six months with proof of receiving a GED. Had he done so, the charge would have been reduced to a misdemeanor.

The Ford brothers lost a younger sibling, Benzo Ford, 17, to gun violence on July 12 when someone fired into an apartment where he was living in southwest Fresno. The shooter has not been identified.

This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Fresno police: Double murder erupted after dispute with rival."